Construction will now be able to begin on a new pedestrian-friendly sustainable residential community on the Sandon Point site in Wollongong's northern suburbs, the NSW Department of Planning announced today.
Department Deputy Director-General Richard Pearson said a project application had been approved following independent review by the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC).
"Planning for this important Illawarra site is now moving forward, following some seven years of studies, debate and legal action," Mr Pearson said.
"The site will have an important role meeting the housing needs of the Illawarra along with creating a regional open space network."
Mr Pearson said a project application for a $22 million residential project on the site had been approved, which will include:
- Subdivision of 181 lots (of which 167 will be for single dwellings and 14 for townhouses or terraces) and one lot where up to 80 apartments may be located, along with associated roads and bridges;
- Pedestrian and cycle paths;
- Landscaping, creek design and riparian corridor creation;
- A display village where up to three dwellings and a sales office may be located.
Vehicular access to the site would be via a rebuilt Wrexham Road bridge and extension of the road to the site.
"This approved subdivision supports detached single dwellings across the majority of the new lots, with some smaller townhouse allotments, to ensure housing diversity and choice," Mr Pearson said.
"These housing lots will play an important role contributing to the anticipated 38,000 dwellings needed in the Illawarra between 2006 and 2031.
"Following concerns raised by the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Department has required the developer Stockland to undertake a full upgrade to the intersection of Lawrence Hargrave Drive and Wrexham Road."
Mr Pearson said the Department, independent experts and the PAC had closely assessed the impacts of floodwaters running through the site, taking into account the impacts of climate change.
These investigations found the proposed creek corridors and design would be able to handle the impacts of floodwaters through the site.
"The issue of floodwater was raised in both the Land and Environment Court ruling, and the Court of Appeal ruling which upheld the concept plan, and therefore was very carefully considered in our assessment," Mr Pearson said.
A State environmental planning policy (SEPP) amendment has also been made for the 31.5 hectare site.
The zoning plans for the site sets aside more than a third of the largely formerly industrial site for environmental conservation purposes, along with 19.3 hectares for low density residential and 1.2 hectares for medium density residential.
This represents a reduced level of urban development than the current zoning plan under Wollongong City Council's 1990 local environmental plan.
The environmental conservation area covers land around the four creeks which flow through the site - namely Hewitts, Woodlands, Cookson and Tramway creeks - along with a rare stand of coastal turpentine forest.
The SEPP amendment is in line with the approved, court-endorsed 2006 concept plan and will help ensure that future development at the Sandon Point site will be surrounded by green corridors protecting the site's waterways.
The SEPP amendment also specifically nominates 1.24 hectares of the turpentine forest as a heritage landscape item, giving it an added layer of protection against development.
A separate proposal for a retirement village development on this site is in the preliminary stages of assessment by the Department. |
